Flowers from River

∿ㆍWhat is food sacrifice?ㆍ∿

Food sacrifice is a ritual practice that is still done to this day in a variety of religions and backgrounds. In Hellenic Polytheism, it was done traditionally before a meal and offered to the Ouranic Gods. I will expand more on this later. 

The concept of sacrifice was very popular in Ancient Greece and was done very commonly in daily life. Before every meal, at sunrise and sunset, during rituals, and before festivals. The most common form of food sacrifice would be the libation. The libation, as defined by LABRYS in Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship, is “a sacred act that is an integral part of Hellenic Worship. It is the ceremonial pouring of liquid offerings onto an altar, into a sacred fire, on the ground, on the roots (for trees) or into the sea, rivers, and lakes.” In modern practice, you can libate with whatever you have. Water is the most common, especially for folks who cannot legally obtain alcohol. Wine is most popular. In Antiquity, unmixed wine was often used. I personally often use honeyed milk and olive oil, just as they did in Ancient Greece. Perfumes and fruit juice were also used for libations. In most cases, the vessel was almost entirely emptied, save for a few gulps, so the individual could drink the last bit. This is only done with consumable offerings and with Ouranic Deities. Please do not drink perfume. When taking an oath, the vessel would be shattered to symbolize the permanence or importance of the spoken words.

Food was frequently thrown into the hearth or sacred fire to burn as an offering to the Gods. The act of burning it was equated with giving it to the Gods. Animal sacrifices were also burned after being drained of their blood, and the remains were typically used for divinatory purposes. I will go a bit more in-depth on how it was done in Antiquity later on in this post. In modern times, some people still burn their food sacrifices if they have the means to do so. I will also elaborate upon this later in this post. 

With that being said, let's discuss Ancient Greece.

∿ㆍHow were they used in antiquity?ㆍ∿

In Ancient Greece, most offerings were burned in the Hearth. If one did not have access to the Hearth, one could do what Odysseus and his crew did and make one. Every home, or Oikos, came equipped with a hearth either in the kitchen, the courtyard, or both. Food could also be placed in baskets or offering bowls on the altar to be thrown into the hearth at a later date. 

The food offered varied depending on a few different factors. Firstly, geographical location. People offered the food that was local to them. Cheese could be offered—cakes, sweets, honeycakes, barley, grain. These were all typical offerings, regardless of geographical location, though, the specifics could vary. 

The second was cult practice. My favorite cult to use as an example here is the Cult of Pythagoras. The Pythagoreans were known for being vegetarians. They did not consume meat, and because of this, their offerings would have been vastly different from, say, the common person in Athens. Rather strict Pythagoreans (referred to as “The Pure”) wouldn’t let blood touch their altars at all. This practice was not very common. Blood was poured on the altar and within the tenemos all the time. They did not offer food that came from animals, simply defined in a variety of scholarly texts as “fleshy foods.” Rather, they focused on offering incense, as most did, honeycombs, and grains. Grains were, and still are, a very popular food offering. 

In some rituals, it was also required to consume or abstain from food. For Thesmophoria and Skira, for example, people were expected to fast before the feast in the evening. On Skira, this was only expected of women. In other rituals, I’ve found the example of this in Dionysian Rites, it was expected that meat is consumed raw in honor of the creation of Man from Titans. Meat itself was seen as food of the highest status. It was the food of Demigods. For this reason, the God-King diet would consist of meats, bread, wine, and not much else. But that is not much to do with food offerings, and more to do with the Ancient Greek Diet. 

Food was offered at the beginning of a meal in a very specific order. LABRYS defines this order as first and last to Hestia, The Olympians in order next, then followed by Soter Zeus / Zeus the Savior. The food was thrown into the hearth alongside a prayer, then enjoyed by those present for the meal.

∿ㆍHow do we use them in modern praxis?ㆍ∿

The modern application of food offerings varies from practitioner to practitioner, similar to how it varied based on cult and location. First, people offer what they have. The offering methods are different. Some folk set aside the last bite, allow the Gods to enjoy it while they eat the rest of the meal, then come back around to it. For foods that do not spoil fast, it is left on the altar and consumed at a later date. Other folks will, like the Greeks, burn their offerings in the hearth. 

Some individuals choose to make cakes or bread in the shape of sacred animals for the Gods they plan on giving these offerings to. For Zeus, one could make an eagle-shaped cake. For Apollon, a snake-shaped cake. Hermes, turtle-shaped, and so on. The act of creating this votive can also be offered to the God in preparation for the bigger ritual. The burning or consumption of these pieces can be interpreted as both animal and food sacrifice.

For Chthonic Gods, the food is left outside on the ground. When doing so, the practitioner should ensure that the food is not only biodegradable but also safe for animal consumption. For this reason, it is important to be aware of your local wildlife. Chthonic food offerings should not be consumed after being offered as well – it is assumed that they have been touched by the Gods of the Underworld, and consuming them will only bring the Underworld to you. If you cannot leave it outside, throw it out. If you feel bad throwing out food (understandably so), cut off a smaller portion to throw out instead. Do not eat the cut-off portion, but you may enjoy the rest.

If you have any other methods for food offerings, please feel free to share them! I am not all knowing, and if I did not mention it above, chances are I do not know of that method.

∿ㆍNuances surrounding food offeringsㆍ∿

Some folks have issues with food offerings for a few different reasons. Some of these reasons are listed below. 

∿ㆍWasting food, throwing unconsumed food out, or being unable to throw food away for any reason. ∿ㆍCost of Groceries. ∿ㆍHiding one's practice from family and/or friends. ∿ㆍInability to pray before a meal or offering (see previous point for reasoning). ∿ㆍBeing unable to leave food outside for the Chthonic Gods. 

I have dealt with a few of these, and outlined below are some ways in which I have handled and dealt with these issues. 

∿ㆍThe meal preparation would be offered to the Gods instead. No matter how minimal the prep was. If I were just having toast, then the act of taking the bread from the pantry and toasting it was my devotional act. Or, offering something else while preparing my food, like singing or dancing. ∿ㆍWhen I lived at home, I would offer snacks more than meals. If I had cookies wrapped in packaging, the whole package would go on the altar for a while before I disposed of it by consuming it myself. This eased the guilt of wasting groceries. I can live without junk food. ∿ㆍPlenty of folks, myself included, have offered the steam of a meal or hot drink to the Ouranic Gods. The steam rises to the Heavens where they reside, so it is perfectly reasonable to offer this to them. ∿ㆍI would pray silently to myself before a meal. If I were out at dinner, I’d pray while waiting for my food or leave to the bathroom. If I were at home, I would pray in my head while eating around my last bite. Now, while with roommates, I hum as a form of prayer instead. 

Of course, there are a myriad of work arounds to some of these issues. Feel free to be as innovative and creative as possible with this. It is your practice. What works for me may not work for you. 

∿ㆍCommon food offerings and replacementsㆍ∿

Some common offerings include:

∿ㆍWine. Red wine was frequently used, but any wine will do. If you don’t purchase wine, you can use any alcohol in your libations. ∿ㆍWater. Tap water is just fine. ∿ㆍMilk. Any milk is fine (whole, almond, soy, oat, etc). ∿ㆍOlive oil. Any oil is fine (Olive oil, Almond Oil, Peanut Oil, Avocado Oil, just be mindful of allergies). ∿ㆍHoney. ∿ㆍMeal cakes (honeycakes, barley cakes, corn bread, any kind of cake). ∿ㆍFruit juice. Any kind of fruit. Feel free to use any fruit relating to your God when libating. ∿ㆍBaked goods. I’ve offered cookies, brownies, and cake to the Gods. You can offer any baked goods.

You are not limited to the above offerings - you can offer whatever you please, whatever you have. I tend to use sesame seeds in place of barley in most offerings and rituals. Some rituals or holidays may outline specific food offerings. If you do not have it and cannot afford it, it is okay to use replacements. In my own rituals, I typically offer honeyed milk, olive oil, rain water and, if I have it, wine. I have offered soft drinks in the past. I find that Lord Apollon is rather partial to orange soda. 

This was a bit lengthy, but I hope it was worth the read! As usual, if you have any questions or would like any elaboration, please feel free to ask me. I’ve included my sources below, should you want to do any further reading. 

Xaire, Altis. 

Sources -

Detienne, Marcel, and Jean-Pierre Vernant. The Cuisine of Sacrifice among the Greeks. University of Chicago Press, 1989.

Labrys Polytheistic Community. Hellenic Polytheism Household Worship. Athens, Greece, Labrys Polytheistic Community, Lexington, Ky, 2014.

Salza, Eugenia, and Ruth Anne Lotero. Meals and Recipes from Ancient Greece. Los Angeles (Calif.), J. Paul Getty Museum, Cop, 2007.

Suk, Theodora. Sharing with the Gods : Aparchai and Dekatai in Ancient Greece. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014.